Hold My Hand
by NatalieHRose
Summary: “Christmas will always be as long as we stand hand in hand and heart to heart. As long as we’re together. As long as I have you.” Contestshipping!
1. Ice Skating

"Alright boys and girls. Naturally, one of the basics you'll need to know is how to stop. Just bend your knees slightly, turn the toes of your foot inwards, point and push out on your heels. This will help to slow you down and bring you to a stop, not crash into an unfortunate stranger."

The children nodded their heads simultaneously. "Okay, Miss Maple."

May observed as they tried to execute what they had just learnt from her. Some were performing well, skating around the rink and stopping every few metres. A few others, however, were walking around the edge of the rink while holding onto the wall and some were holding onto one another's hands. Although they were slower, May was pleased that they were at least going at a comfortable pace.

She clapped her hands, inviting the children's attention back to her. "Alright guys. Only 10 minutes left, so feel free to continue practising or just skate around and then we're done for today."

"Miss Maple?" A girl spoke. "Who is that standing beside the rental booth? He's been looking at you."

May turned to where she was pointing at. There he was, leaning against the rental booth with his arms folded across his chest, his signature smirk plastered on his face. Noticing that his presence was known, he brushed his hair and looked up to face them. He watched as May and the little ones skated over to him, peering their little heads over the wall to catch a clearer glimpse of him.

"Drew!" May smiled, waving her hand at him. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"I had some time before our dinner reservation later, so I thought I'd swing by and watch." He shrugged, walking over to her.

"Miss Maple, is he your boyfriend?" The girl giggled. "He's very handsome."

She could feel the heat growing in her cheeks as she suppressed a smile. "W-What? Boyfriend? N-No! Drew's just one of my ... good friends," She faltered, biting the inside of her cheek. Lies.

"What? Just good friends?" A boy blurted out.

"They look good together!"

"They must like each other. After all, they're going out together later!" Another pointed out.

May glanced at her watch frantically, attempting to hide the blush and avoiding further teases the children were throwing at her. "Alright guys. No more discussion about this. Why don't you all go ahead and pack up? We're done for today. I'll see you guys again after Christmas!"

Noticing how embarrassed May was, the children tittered. They thanked May for today and took turns to give her a hug. She stared at them as they chatted away happily about their holiday plans, exiting the rink into the locker rooms to gather their belongings and head home.

"Those kids ..." She muttered under her breath. "So full of beans."

"_Good friends_, huh?" Drew laughed. "Well, at least you didn't try to deny the fact that she said I'm handsome."

May's blush burned deeper through her cheeks. By now, they must be beyond an attractive crimson red, making Drew laugh harder. She quickly looked away, averting his gaze as she took a deep breath to try and get the heat to fade away.

"Anyways, you were great. Didn't realise you had a knack for this," he confessed as he scanned the entire ice rink. "I should drop by more often."

"Thanks, Drew." Her eyes widened at his compliment before letting out a little giggle. "Have you tried ice skating before?"

He shook his head. "Me? Nah."

"Well, how about giving it a go? Right here, right now! We still have a bit more time before our reservation," she squealed. He pondered for awhile, eyes shining with hesitation as he tried to find an excuse. "Oh come on, Drew! Don't be such a weenie. It'll be fun!"

"I'm not a weenie!" he grunted, shooting her a slight glare. "Fine. Let's go."

He went over to change into ice skates before joining the brunette on the rink. He was grateful that the place was practically empty now and that they had the entire rink to themselves. The last thing he'd want is for people to watch - he never really liked the attention. It was an hour before the place closes and everyone was probably busy getting some last minute shopping done or just getting ready for Christmas. He stayed at the edge of the rink, leaning his body against the wall as he observed her carefully.

May glided ever so gracefully on her skates. Her left leg was slightly bent and her right was stretched out behind. Then, she kicked her right leg up in front of her, before extending her right leg behind again. It looked natural, as if she was meant to be on ice. There was not one jerky movement, balancing herself so easily. She truly was an expert. She jumped high in the air and landed with such perfect posture. She held her arms out at just below shoulder level, head forward as she spun around, keeping her right foot straight and body free. She looked like an angel.

She ended her routine with a pose before skating her way to him, slightly out of breath.

"You were amazing." He whispered, still in awe.

"Thank you!" She smiled. "Now, what are you doing just standing around? Come on!"

He inhaled deeply, plucking up the courage as he pushed himself from the wall and glided forward for a short distance. He looked down as he tried to imitate the posture May was doing earlier, only to lose control of his balance. He knew he was going to fall. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed his arms, allowing him to regain his balance and stand on the ice.

"Don't look down. Keep your knees bent and your weight forward. Hold your arms out in front of you and open them wide to help you stay balanced," May instructed, demonstrating to him the correct position.

"Oh. Th-thanks." He copied her slowly. However, he still struggled to keep himself balanced.

"Your body's stiff. Try to relax, loosen up a bit," she said, urging him to take deep breaths. Noticing that he was still slightly tensed, she held out her hands. "Here. I'll support you. Hold my hand."

He blinked and stared at her hands before meeting her eyes. He smiled a little and took her hands gently. She guided him around the rink as they went at a slow pace. He kept his legs as steady as possible, trying to get used to the friction of the ice and to keep up with the brunette beside him.

"Don't worry, Drew," she assured him, squeezing his hands tighter. "If you fall, I'll fall with you."

He blushed at her words, a smile exploded onto his lips. They skated around the rink hand in hand a few times before he finally gained enough momentum and confidence. He gently released her hand, pushing himself forward and lengthened his legs, alternating his strides. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. He took longer strokes, as he glided across the ice cold rink with ease and grace. It took awhile but he finally did it. He turned around the edge and made his way over to May, who was standing in the middle of the rink and beaming proudly at him.

"Wow. Not bad. You're a fast learner," she said softly.

He smirked and casually flicked his hair. His eyes softened as he looked into hers. "Thank you for, you know ... showing the ropes."

"Sure, no problem!"

Silence overtook after that. His eyes were still focused on hers as he slowly leaned in closer. She stared back, almost forgetting to breathe as the distance between them got smaller and smaller.

"Hey, we're closing soon!" A voice shouted, making them jump. "Oh sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"N-No. Not at all." Drew faltered, his face burned as he looked away in embarrassment.

May placed her hands behind her back shyly. "We were just about to leave."

The man nodded and left. May exhaled slowly before turning to face Drew.

He looked at her, letting out a soft chuckle. "So, our dinner reservation?"


	2. I Have You

"Dinner was so good!" May sighed contentedly. "I'm so full!"

Drew smirked at her. "It's no surprise since you practically ordered everything on the menu."

"Well, you know what they say. Work to the max, eat like a Munchlax!"

They exited the restaurant and strolled alongside the magnificently structured buildings. As the evening sky faded away, the pink and orange hues were replaced with dark shades of blue, whilst the amber light of the street lamps spilled on the stone-paved streets. Pure white snowflakes danced in the light, a choreographed ballet conducted by the gentle wind. The streets were covered in a thick blanket of white like a feather cushion, soft and warm. Footprints criss crossed each other around the labyrinth of paths.

Allured by the scent of freshly baked Christmas cakes coming from a neighboring bakery amidst the bustling street, they took their lingering gaze off of the enormous Christmas tree adorned with glistening ornaments and glowing fairy lights draped around it. They watched as people swarmed in and out of the bustling coffee shops and bakeries like bees.

The elegantly decorated, wooden stalls slowly revealed their hidden wonders attracting long queues of customers. Their illuminated blinking Christmas lights, vibrant ornaments and brightly colored signs, lined up along either side of the street and had a variety of delectable treats, scented fragrances, skillfully hand-crafted greeting cards and unlimited choices of gifts to customers occupied for endless periods of time. The warm smiles of the people behind the stalls as they tossed freshly roasted, golden brown chestnuts into paper cones or carefully poured creamy hot chocolate into mugs, adding generous layers of whipped cream, was returned by the beaming grins of the children who were eagerly waiting to get their mug. The energetic youngsters giggling at their creamy chocolate mustaches were followed soon after. The loud, spirited laughter of adults could be heard over the continuous chatter surrounding the vivacious atmosphere.

Suddenly, May stopped walking. She looked over at the main square, where many families were gathered around. Laughing about, enjoying each other's warmth and company. She bit her lip, a lump formed in her throat. Blinking her eyes, she tried to quell the tears that were starting to well up.

"May? Are you alright?" Drew stood beside her, his hand brushed gently over her forearm. He followed her gaze. Snowballs soared in the air before attacking someone, people were busy taking selfies with the Christmas tree, Santa Claus and the decorations, others were sipping on their Christmas lattes as they chatted away happily. He looked at her for a few seconds and spoke softly. "You miss your family, don't you?"

She remained silent. Ever since they started to travel together, they've gotten much closer. It was no surprise to her that he could read and understand her now. She couldn't hide any emotions from him. It was both a good and bad thing. But, she was grateful. She liked it when he displayed his soft spot, aside from his usual, non-stop teases and sarcastic remarks. Much better than his aloof and cocky side that he used to have.

She sighed and nodded, turning her head slowly to face him. A solitary tear trickled down her cheek. "It just feels different, you know, not having them with me. I know I have been travelling away from home for a long time now, but I do still miss them everyday. Mom, Dad ... and even Max who is always determined to outsmart and annoy me. And now that it's Christmas, I miss them even more."

Drew smiled faintly as he lightly wiped away the tears that plummet down her cheeks. "I know how you feel, May. At times, I do miss my own family back in LaRousse, even though I know that I don't always mention them. But, _I do."_

He paused for a moment. He looked into her eyes and carefully held both her hands. "I won't deny that I love travelling alone. That was one of the reasons why I left home and started to become a Pokémon coordinator back then. Just like you, I wanted to explore and go on adventures. Being surrounded by all kinds of Pokémons, competing in contests, meeting new people ..."

He laughed. "I know, I can be quite arrogant and rude sometimes. Remember? How you loathe me when we first met back in Slateport? But, I know that this is what my family would have wanted me to do - their love and support keeps me going. And I'm happy. Most importantly, this journey got me to meet a feisty and stubborn girl. It kills me to say this ... but she's the most amazing girl. And I don't regret that."

She flustered at his words. Her eyes started to focus. She could make out the features of his face. His tousled hair that matched his evergreen eyes. The eyes that softened as she stared into them. The eyes that seemed the picture of perfection. The eyes that glimmered a beautiful emerald, sparkling in the morning sun like a fresh sheen of morning dew.

They continued their walk, still holding each other's hands as silence overtook them.

"Thank you, Drew. For everything. You've really helped me a lot," she spoke softly. "Back then, I was travelling with Ash, Brock and my brother. I wasn't alone. I had friends by my side and I had Max with me. I still had a piece of family and home with me. Then, I was afraid when I decided to travel by myself."

She paused, taking a deep breath. "But then, I realised. I still wasn't alone. I had you. You were there for me when I needed it. And I'm glad that till this present moment, _I still have you_."

A blush slowly crept onto his face when he heard that. He shifted his eyes to her. Breath pale against the numbing air, she blinked thoughtfully as the frost patiently kissed her face, captivated by the soft, dusty illusions of light that sat heavy on her eyelashes. She watched them tumble, those feathered crystals, their chaotic flight to form a blanket that could not be more uniform. Yet for some their destination is to rest on her face, to alight upon her rosy cheeks, allowing her warmth be their spring melt. She looked so beautiful.

It took his breath away as he continued to watch her, a small smile playing on his lips. He couldn't find the words suddenly. Instead, he laced his fingers with hers tightly.

"And thank you for spending time with me today," she whispered, turning her head to face him. She stopped walking and met his eyes. "The ice skating, dinner and ... _this_."

She leaned closer, burying her face in his chest as she enveloped him in a hug. His eyes widened at the sudden action, but slowly reciprocated. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as she sunk into the warmth of his embrace. She squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end as the world around them slowly melted away. He caressed her back, kissing the top of her head softly.

And May felt right at home. Right in his arms.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_ Hi guys! Thank you for reading! Hope you liked this Christmas one-shot! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!


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